Tonight, Tomorrow and Always
by The Shadow Hawk
Summary: KurAna Two years have passed since the adventures of SH:C. Anastasia lives with the Inugamis but Kurando is still oblivious to their engagement, or so she thinks. Her future with Kurando in question, Anastasia gets advice from the two that know him best.


_Tonight, Tomorrow and Always_

Shadow Hearts: Covenant

By: The Shadow Hawk

Pairing: Kurando/Anastasia

Disclaimer: If I owned Shadow Hearts, would I be writing?

Summary: Two years have passed since the adventures of Shadow Hearts Covenant. Anastasia lives with the Inugamis but Kurando is still oblivious to their engagement, or so she thinks. Her future with Kurando in question, Anastasia gets advice from the two that know him best.

* * *

The sun was low in the sky as a young girl exited the Inugami residence. Dressed in her precious autumn kimono and traditional geta, she walked down to the Fountain of Sukune.

Once there, the young princess drank in the sight of the cavern bathed in the waning light of the sun. Everything seemed to reflect the warm reds and oranges of the sky. She smiled took off her sandals while at the edge. With the utmost care, she hopped from stone to stone to the rock there Saki usually stood. In her two years at Inugami Village, she'd grown a considerable amount and was becoming a beautiful, graceful woman rather than the scrawny adolescent she had once been.

Anastasia then took a seat on the rock and looked up towards the sky, the same sky Kurando was looking at elsewhere, or so she hoped. He and his mother were out of the village visiting the capital for one reason or another. She hadn't exactly paid attention to the reason, she had just been upset that she wouldn't see Kurando for at least a week. Luckily that week would be up soon.

But the thought of Kurando brought a sigh to her lips. Two years…two years since they had traveled together, fought together. Her mind wandered to their final fight with Kato. He'd held her so closely that day, whispered that he'd always be there for her, continued to hold her when they were back on the ground. She'd never been as happy as she had that day. But lately…he hadn't been so warm. Perhaps he'd only said those things in the heat of the moment. They had been very close to death after all. There was no telling at the time whether or not they would ever see their homes again.

The thought of home made her feel a little sick. There was a good chance she would never see her home again. Though her parents would never admit it to her, Russia was falling apart. The only reason she was allowed to go live in Inugami village was because it was no longer safe in Petrograd. A real home didn't really exist for the young princess anymore.

Tears sprang to her eyes and she felt a certain sense of relief that she was alone. She'd never found much comfort in Saki's riddles and there was no way she could explain her situation to Kurando. With one more sigh, she lay down on the rock and began to sob, thankful for the curtain of hair around her face since her hair wasn't up in its usual braided loops.

Anastasia didn't know how long she cried, she only knew that when she lifted her head again, she was no longer at the Fountain. She was in a dark forest, the likes of which she had never seen. At the very least, she knew for sure that it wasn't the Forest of the Wind. Nervous, she stood up and brushed her kimono off.

"That's the last time I ever go to the Fountain of Sukune alone…" She muttered to no one in particular. Hit by a sudden though, she groped around for her mechanical egg or some crests. They were nowhere to be found. With a soft swear in Russian, she remembered she had wandered to the fountain without any sort of protection, never thinking something like this would happen. She didn't even have any shoes.

She quickly decided she couldn't stay in one place for long. She didn't know what was in this…place. Briefly she wondered if she was once again in one of Garan's Otherworlds. It certainly seemed possible given her sudden transportation from the fountain to this forest, but on the other hand forests weren't Garan's style. And they had been positive Garan was no longer an issue after the Dog Shrine. This had to be the work of someone or something else. What, she had no idea, but she was fairly sure it wasn't Garan.

Timidly, she began to walk the path of most light. Not that the path with the most light had much more than the one with the least though. Alert at all times, she seemed to be going nowhere. Time was no longer there. The tiny light at the end of the tunnel made by the trees never seemed to get any bigger. It felt as though she was walking past the same set of trees over and over.

After walking for some indeterminable amount of time, fatigue overtook her and she leaned against a tree, rubbing her sore legs. She lifted her foot up to wipe away some dirt and leaves. For a moment she wished she was still wearing her geta She looked ahead and behind, seeing no real difference between each path. Sitting on the ground, unable to move any more, she pondered her situation. Nothing had attacked her but certainly nothing was helping her either. She was alone, without friend, weapons, magic or items.

But before she had another chance to bemoan her situation, she heard a branch snap. Her head shot up. Something had finally found her. A moment later, another branch snapped.

"H-hello?" She called out timidly in the direction she believed the sound to be coming from. Her only answer was a loud growl. Knowing that couldn't possibly be anything good, she fled deeper into the forest, now bereft of her sandals as well.

With branches snapping and vicious snarls to keep her going, Anastasia ran blindly into the darkness. All she wanted was to get away. She tried to scream, but she found herself unable to spare the energy it would take to cry out. Branches whipped across her face, leaving shallow but painful cuts on her cheeks and above her eyes. Sharp rocks cut into her feet, protesting every move she made.

With every step she took, the _thing_ behind her seemed to take two. It just kept getting closer. When she finally gathered the courage to look back, she was immediately sorry.

Whatever it was, it ran on four legs and had teeth larger than any natural creature she'd seen before.

But the second her eyes left the path in front of her, her foot got caught under a tree root and with a pained scream, went tumbling to the ground.

She rolled a few feet before coming to a stop, lying on her stomach, face in the grass. Tears welled in her eyes again. Of all the places to die, why here? Why alone? Couldn't one friend be with her? Couldn't Kurando be here?

She clutched the grass beneath her hands as the beast closed in on her. She could feel its hot breath on her back, reeking of rotten meat. She turned her head to the side in time to see it rear up in its hind legs, readying itself for the kill. She shut her eyes.

But the teeth never came. She heard another growl and the presence of the beast seemed to disappear. But she didn't have the courage to open her eyes. She began to cry, out of fear, loneliness, helplessness…

But no sooner did she start to cry did two strong arms pick up and cradle her. The feeling briefly reminded her of being in Kurando's arms after the fight with Kato.

"Shhhh…it's alright now…" The voice was soft, feminine, though it echoed with hidden power and somehow familiar.

A warm sense of calm surrounded her, the beast and her other savior forgotten for the moment. The pain in her legs faded as did the stinging on her face. As the warm sensation faded she finally opened her eyes.

She was shocked to find herself in the arms of Tsukiyomi, Kurando's first fusion. She was doubly shocked when she saw Jutendouji standing a few yards away, looking smug having just destroyed the monster.

"Wh-what's going on?" She blurted out without a second thought.

"Not even a thank you? Feh…" Jutendouji scoffed and slung his weapon over his shoulder. "The boy has strange taste in women. I don't know what he sees in you besides appearance. It certainly wasn't manners."

Anastasia flushed at the remark. Jutendouji sounded a somewhat like Kurando only older perhaps…harsher. "S-sorry…I just…I'm confused…"

"I suppose it's not brains either." He muttered.

Her color deepened and she was about to say something nasty when Tsukiyomi set her down and rested a hand on her shoulder, quieting her. "Do not be so hard on her. She was just attacked. She is human and ended up here without any means to protect herself. You cannot blame her for being scared and confused."

Anastasia decided she liked Tsukiyomi better than Jutendouji.

"Whatever. I still don't know why the boy likes you so much." Jutendouji took a whiff of the air, trying to tell if there were any more monsters nearby.

"The boy? You…you mean Kurando?"

Jutendouji began to say something when Tsukiyomi stopped him. "Yes, Kurando. He worries about you a great deal when he leaves the village. And we're always watching you when he cannot."

Anastasia blinked a few times. None of this was making sense. Kurando never acted that concerned for her well-being. "Wait…wait…please…start at the beginning. Where am I and how'd I get here?"

"You're between your world and our world. A halfway point of sorts."

"Is that why you're speaking here but you never do when you fuse with Kurando?" Tuskiyomi nodded. "So how did I get here?"

"You weren't paying attention when you fell asleep at the Fountain, stupid girl…" Jutendouji muttered again.

"Well, how was I supposed to know this would happen? I've had a lot going on lately! I'm tired. I'm scared. I'm confused. I was alone up until a few seconds ago. What do you want from me? I'm only human!" She snapped at the lanky ogre, furious that he was so judgmental of her. What right did he have to say such things about her? She was on the verge of walking up to and smacking the arrogant god when Tsukiyomi grabbed her shoulder again.

"Stop. There is another beast nearby." She looked at the ogre. "You're faster. Get her away from here. I'll take this one."

Mortal and immortal stood still for a second. Anastasia because of fear of another monster, Jutentouji because of the princess' reaction to him a second earlier.

"GO!" Tsukiyomi's voice resonated with even more power than normal and the ogre finally picked her up and ran.

Anastasia remained still in the ogre god's arms as he dashed away, his feet seemingly never touching the ground. He was fast on earth but even faster here. Briefly she forgot about the monster and wondered where his weapon had gone. She pushed the thought away, reminding herself that he was a god after all and probably had all sorts of powers she didn't understand.

She remained silent in his thin yet incredibly strong arms for a long time. For the time they ran in silence, she felt like she was in Kurando's arms again, warm and safe.

When Jutendouji finally stopped, they were in a completely different part of the forest, none she could have found on her own anyway. "Th-thank you…" She murmured at he lowered her to the ground. The two fell into an awkward silence. Though she wasn't facing the ogre, she could practically feel his intense gaze on her.

"So…" She said after a moment, turning around to face him. "Do you know what that thing was?"

Jutendouji shifted his gaze so that he was looking back into the forest. "A minor demon…it preys on unsuspecting human…drags them here and kills them."

"Unsuspecting people, huh? Like me I suppose…" She sank down onto a nearby rock and stared at the ground. "I guess I'm just lucky you two were around…"

Again, the two fell into silence, Anastasia watching the ground, Jutendouji watching her. There were no sounds, not even wind in the trees. In this utter absence of noise, Anastasia felt like her own breathing was deafening. Jutendouji's intense gaze wasn't making her feel any better.

She coughed a little and raised her eyes to look at him. She was taken off guard when her eyes locked with his. It didn't seem to matter how much he insulted her before, he was now looking at her with intense desire.

Blood roared in her ears and her breath became shaky. Her heart hammered in her throat. Kurando never looked at her like that. No one had _ever_ looked at her with such unchecked lust. He began to walk towards her, intent on something but she was afraid to imagine what.

Just before he was within arms reach, she stood up. "What did you mean when you said Kurando has strange taste in women?"

The mention of Kurando brought a scowl to his face and momentarily dashed the lust from his eyes. "Stupid whelp…"

"Kurando's not a whelp! He's a strong young man! Don't talk about your harmonixer that way!" Her building anger towards the ogre god momentarily overruled her common sense and she shoved him as hard as she could.

He didn't move very far, of course. A smirk passed over his lips when she continued to frown at him. In the blink of an eye, Jutendouji was no longer in front of her but behind her, one arm around her shoulders, the other her waist. He crushed her body against his.

"Hmmm…maybe I do see what he sees in you…it takes a lot of guts to do something like that." He half purred, half growled in her ear.

She froze again. He was holding her too tightly. She could feel his breath on her neck. In the part of her brain that was still functioning, she wondered if she had been safer with Tsukiyomi and the monster.

"I could take you right here if I wanted to, you know that, right?"

That thought terrified Anastasia. Jutendouji could easily overpower her and do whatever he wanted. He was an ogre god. He probably wouldn't care if she fought back. He would probably like that. Where was Tsukiyomi? What was taking so long?

"You…you wouldn't…you can't…" She whimpered, truly afraid for her safety.

Again they stood there, silent. After an intense moment, she heard him sigh. "You're right…the boy would find a way to seal me away again if I hurt you…besides…I could never hurt you." His voice was low with desire. Desire for her. But his arms fell away from her body, letting her move away and breathe. "The boy sent me here to protect you so that's what I'll do."

Though dazed by Jutendouji's strange actions, she tried to focus on his words. "What do you mean 'he sent you here to protect me'?"

"Strange things exist in your world, beyond your world. If he could, he'd always be there. But he can't. We stand in where he can't be."

Anastasia's eyes dropped to the ground. "If he cares so much why does he act like he doesn't? He's been so distant the past few months…"

"Kurando does not have much experience with women…" Tsukiyomi suddenly emerged from the trees. "He does not know how to express his feelings."

"Oh…I see…I think…"

Tsukiyomi looked at Jutendouji. "Go look for any more beasts. I doubt those two were the only ones."

He growled, not liking being told what to do, but obeyed the moon goddess. He shot Anastasia one more intense look before disappearing into the woods.

"Are you alright? Did he hurt you?" Tsukiyomi caught Jutendouji's look and turned to Anastasia.

"No…I'm fine…" Once he disappeared into the forest, she felt like she could finally breathe normally.

"Be careful around him. He embodies Kurando's unchecked desire for you."

Anastasia felt her face get hot. "Desire?" In all the time she'd known Kurando, emotions like desire and lust seemed to be furthest from his mind. "For me?" She shook her head. Kurando didn't lust after people. He was always the chivalrous type. She absently wondered if he even knew the meaning of lust.

"Yes. Kurando is very careful though. He usually does his best to keep his strong emotions in control. But he isn't here right now. Jutendouji is on his own right now. He could be dangerous."

"Um…if…if Jutendouji is like Kurando's desire for me…what are you?"

The moon goddess smiled. "His desire to protect you from everything, including himself if the need arose." She reached out and smoothed the princess' messy hair. "He only wants to love and protect you but he does not yet know how to express his feelings."

"So…he really does care…" She felt her eyes sting with tears again, though this time out of happiness. "This may be asking too much, but does that mean we really will get married someday?"

"Someday soon." She smiled again. "Kurando does know about the arrangement. He knew about it before you. He's always loved you but was too timid to ask for your hand in marriage himself so his mother took it upon herself to set it all up. He is as afraid as you are."

She smiled. "I guess I'll just have to let him know when I get back…" The smile suddenly faded as soon as it appeared. "Wait…how do I get back? Can I get back?"

"When Jutendouji gets back, we'll take you to a gate back to your world."

She sighed with relief. "Phew…I was a little worried there…"

"Kurando will be back soon. He'll be worried if you're not around. We'll start walking and Jutendouji will catch up. Are you alright to walk on your own?"

She nodded. "I wish I had my sandals but I'll be okay."

There was no need for words as the two walked into the woods. Tsukiyomi knew exactly where they were going and Anastasia was wrapped up in thoughts of Kurando. At first she was mad after finding out he knew of their engagement but it passed. After all, she'd gone two years without telling him. It shouldn't come as much of a surprise that he hadn't mentioned it either. They were just two kids in love who had trouble figuring out how to say it.

But now that she knew, she just had to let him know the truth.

Somewhere during the course of the walk to the gate, Jutendouji joined them. A still bloody cut on his arm told her that there had been more monsters in the woods.

"Are you okay?" She looked up at him.

"Fine. It's just a scratch." He muttered gruffly, not looking at her.

They walked again in silence, both gods alert and ready for anything. But nothing else came. The gate they came to looked much like the gates in Garan's Otherworlds, but no evil presence made itself evident.

"So I just walk through here, right?"

"Yes. You will be back at the Fountain of Sukune on the other side." Tsukiyomi and Jutendouji stopped while Anastasia continued walking towards the gate.

"Thank you both. I don't want to know what would have happened if you weren't here for me."

"Just don't do it again." Jutendouji muttered. "The Fountain is a dangerous place to be alone and unprepared."

"Yes. I know that now." She put one foot through the gate. "Thanks again." With one last smile, she stepped all the way through.

A bright light momentarily blinded her when she stepped through. She stood still until her vision cleared. When the white spots disappeared, she found herself in the moonlit cavern of the Fountain of Sukune. No matter how long it felt like she was gone, it seemed it was no more than a few hours.

"Anastasia!" Someone off in the distance was calling her. The voice echoed from the opening of the cavern to her ears. "Anastasia, where are you?" It was definitely Kurando. He sounded worried.

"In here!" She called out to him. A moment later, she turned and saw him across the stepping stones, looking concerned.

"The villagers said they saw you walk in here earlier and never saw you come out…"

"I've been here the whole time." She smiled at him. "No need to worry."

For a moment, Kurando stood speechless. Anastasia looked absolutely stunning, bathed in moonlight, gently smiling with the waterfall as an amazing backdrop. Her jade eyes sparkled with a warm light meant only for him.

"Is everything alright?" He said after a moment, trying to break the spell of her beauty.

"Everything's fine." She began to carefully walk back to the opposite shore. "I just lost track of time here." She had nearly reached the shore when she slipped on a wet stone. She let out a squeak of alarm but never fell. Kurando's arms shot out and grabbed her, pulling her safely back to dry land, her feet never touching the water.

She stood in his strong arms, not wanting the moment to end. He studied her face carefully and frowned suddenly.

"What?" She cocked her head to one side, confused.

One hand left her waist and went to her face. He cradled her cheek in his palm and traced a line on her cheek. She winced slightly. "It looks new. What happened?" Confusion and concern were prevalent in his voice and ruby red eyes.

"Oh that…nothing. I must have scratched myself in my sleep or something." It wasn't like she could explain to him what happened earlier. She barely understood it herself.

Not satisfied, but not willing to make an argument out of it, Kurando put his arm around her shoulder and led her towards the cavern opening. "Even if it's just a scratch, I'd like to have a closer look. Let's return to the house."

She giggled. "Okay, Dr. Kurando. I won't argue with you."

He smiled. For some reason he felt especially glad to see her. His hand slid away from her face and down to her hand. They continued holding hands as they headed back to Kurando's home.

The large house seemed empty as they entered.

"Is your mother back?" She sat on her bed while Kurando went for some water and bandages.

"She went to visit some of the villagers. She might very well not come back until the middle of the night." He sat down next to her and started cleaning the cut.

Anastasia couldn't help but wonder if Tsukiyomi had left that one cut on purpose. Usually she took care of everything but this time she just happened to leave one. But she didn't mention it. She was just content being so close to Kurando. She reveled in the feeling of his warm, strong hands against her skin, now knowing that he really did love her.

He seemed to be oblivious to her gaze as she watched him take care of her. He looked very much the same as he did when they met. He was slightly taller maybe, more muscular yes, but still very much the same young man she'd fallen in love with two years ago.

After he finished cleaning her cut, they sat in silence. Anastasia wondered to herself just how much time she'd spent lately in silence. So many things had left her speechless that day. She wasn't sure what he was thinking but she knew she wanted to get him to admit his feelings.

Sometimes being with him was torture. He was always such a perfect gentleman. She knew he'd never make the first move so she'd have to take it herself.

"Kurando?" She reached up timidly to brush his messy bangs from his beautiful eyes.

"Hmm?" As her hand moved away from his face, he reached up and held her hand against his face.

Looking into his eyes, she could see a glimmer of desire, similar to the gleam she saw in Jutendouji's eyes but not nearly as intense. Timidly, she inched closer to him. He never moved, waiting to see what she would do.

Finally when there was almost no space between them, she took a deep breath. "You don't always have to hold back so much." Before he could ask what she meant by that, she pressed her lips against his for a brief kiss.

The kiss seemed to make something register in Kurando's mind because before she could move away from him, he pulled her back to him and kissed her passionately. She felt one hand wrap around her waist while the other found its way into her thick cinnamon hair, gently massaging her scalp, making her moan softly against his lips.

Every sound she made only encouraged him more. He pulled her even closer, as if he was trying to mold their bodies together. Anastasia's hands slid up into his hair, preventing him from moving, not that he had any intention of leaving her.

They didn't break apart until the need for air arose. She smiled at him, promising more if he played his cards right.

With a look of understanding, Kurando leaned in to kiss her again. Gently, he brought her legs up on the bed and pushed her back onto the mattress, never breaking the kiss.

Finally the moment arose when they both needed air again. Kurando hovered over her small body, looking at her very possessively. Before today, the look might have frightened her, but it didn't now that she knew everything. His lips parted to speak when she pressed two fingers against his mouth stopping him.

"I love you Kurando Inugami. More than anyone or anything in this entire world. I want to spend the rest of my life here with you. If you feel the same way, please tell me. If you don't, I'll leave tonight and you'll never see me again."

Balancing on one arm, Kurando took her hand and pressed his lips against her palm. "I love you Princess Anastasia Romanov. I wouldn't be able to go on without you. You're everything to me. I want you here with me always." His head dipped down to capture her lips again. He lowered his body against hers, careful not to crush her.

Anastasia welcomed the weight. It felt so right. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed back forcefully. She let out a whimper of disappointment when his lips left hers but let out a pleasured gasp when he began trailing kisses down her neck. He gently nipped the sensitive spot at the base of her throat, surprising her even more. Who knew someone like Kurando knew how to please a woman so much?

After another few minutes of feverish kisses, Kurando broke away and gazed at her lovingly. The love and desire they felt for one another was reflected in their eyes. Kurando brushed a stray piece of hair from her eyes. "Anastasia?"

"Hmm?" She couldn't find the energy to form an intelligent response. She had been completely unprepared for, though not disappointed by, his response to her.

He was silent for a moment, trying to find the right words, or any words at all. He ran his fingers across the neckline of her kimono. "Anastasia…do you know what this kimono symbolizes?"

Her breathed hitched for a moment in her chest. This was it. They would finally have to talk about marriage. "Yes." Her eyes left his face for a moment. She couldn't lie to him but she couldn't totally face him either. "Your mother explained it to me when she gave it to me…"

She missed the look of confusion that swept across his face. "You knew?"

"Yes…please don't be mad…" She closed her eyes and clenched her fists, not knowing what else to do.

"I'm not mad…just confused." He brushed her cheek with his fingers coaxing her into looking at him again. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"For a while, I was too excited to think much about it…then I thought about it…how do you tell someone his mother went and got him engaged without his knowledge? I thought you'd be mad…so I pretended I didn't know what it meant…"

Kurando smiled, then sat up and pulled her into his arms. "Oh Ana…I knew…my mother told me she wanted me to marry after Jutendouji awoke within me. I told her you were the only one I could ever spend the rest of my life with. She said she'd take care of everything…" He wiped away a tear that threatened to mar her perfect face. "I suppose things don't always go the way we plan though. I should have told you before…"

She laughed through her tears of joy. "It doesn't matter because now I know. Everything can go the way it's supposed to now, right?"

"Yes…" He smiled and embraced her. "Everything is as it should be now."

Anastasia held onto him as if he was her anchor to life. "Please stay with me tonight."

Kurando wordlessly pulled back the blankets and brought them back up around their bodies. It didn't seem to matter that they were both still wearing their daytime clothes. They were too tired and too happy in each other's company to care. Anastasia fit perfectly in her love's arms, her head tucked under his chin. She fell asleep within mere moments of being in his arms. He smiled and began to drift to sleep.

"Tonight, tomorrow and always, my princess."

* * *

Okay…so my first attempt at writing for Shadow Hearts…how was it? Was it a little weird? I wrote it in a matter of hours. Click the nice little button down there and tell me please! I can tell how many of you read and don't review. If you don't like it please explain. I can't improve without help.

-The Shadow Hawk-


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